Kennesaw, Georgia – January 7, 2020 – Unibloc Pump, a 36-year leader in the manufacture of positive displacement pumps, strainers, valves, bubble traps and other solutions for sanitary flow control applications, today announced it has been acquired by May River Capital, a Midwest-based private equity firm focused on helping high-caliber industrial businesses grow and prosper.
Founded in 1984 by Harry Soderstrom, Unibloc Pump has built a strong reputation for innovation within critical sanitary process manufacturing applications, including the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, bakery and confection, meat and poultry, brewery, and transportation industries. Unibloc Pump is nationally renowned for providing precision-engineered products and solutions with uncompromising commitment to customer service. Through the leadership of Harry Soderstrom, Unibloc Pump has witnessed significant growth over the years at both its headquarters in the metro-Atlanta area as well as its second facility located in Beckum, Germany.
“Unibloc Pump is launching a new and exciting chapter with May River Capital,” said Soderstrom. “May River’s approach to building business through collaboration is exactly what I was seeking as I looked ahead to the opportunities awaiting our company. We are pleased we’ve found a partner who values the engineering, skills, craftsmanship and most importantly, the culture we’ve nurtured here. This partnership will enable us to accelerate our growth initiatives and better serve our customers’ needs,” Soderstrom said.
Soderstrom will continue with Unibloc Pump as Chief Growth Officer, where he will utilize his expertise in driving growth for the company through finding new markets, customers, products, and business partners.
Joining the leadership team with Soderstrom will be Chris Stevens, Chief Executive Officer, who will provide commercial leadership with strengths in business-to-business marketing, channel management, and sales.
“Harry’s years of industry expertise and leadership paired with Unibloc’s talented and hard-working employees have made the company the great success it is today,” Stevens said. “We are committed to building upon Harry’s rich legacy and investing in the resources to support the company’s continued growth,” added Stevens.
The timing of the news follows Unibloc Pump’s expansion in mid-December 2020. The company recently moved its U.S. operations into a state-of-the-art facility located in Kennesaw, Georgia, which is three times larger than its prior facility located in Marietta, Georgia. The new 41,000 square-foot facility supports Soderstrom’s and Stevens’ aligned vision for growth through ongoing investment in employees and the company.
“We have more than tripled our plant footprint to dramatically increase capacity to better serve our customers and expand to new markets,” said Soderstrom. “The new facility will also help Unibloc Pump maintain its competitive edge in the industry by attracting top talent in the region,” he added.
Also serving in new leadership roles are Patrick Painter, Chief Financial Officer, and Brian Comiskey, Chief Operating and Technical Officer.
Paul Hastings LLP served as legal counsel to May River Capital, while Jones Day served as legal counsel to Unibloc Pump and its shareholders.
# # #
About Unibloc Pump
Since 1984, Unibloc Pump has provided manufacturers in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, bakery and confection, meat and poultry, brewery, and transportation industries with precision-engineered sanitary pumps, strainers, valves, bubble traps and other accessory products to tackle the toughest sanitary jobs. Unibloc is the premier designer of simple, easy-to-clean in place (CIP) pumps or clean out of place (COP) pumps that help customers fight downtime, achieve a lower cost of operation and meet deadlines with confidence. For more information, visit www.UniblocPump.com.
About May River Capital
May River Capital is a Chicago-based private equity firm focused on investing in lower middle-market, industrial growth companies. May River Capital invests in high-quality industrial growth businesses, including precision manufacturing, engineered products and instrumentation, specialized industrial services, and value-added industrial distribution services. For more information, please visit www.mayrivercapital.com.
